In a recent editorial, Education Minister, Rob Fleming, proposed that the new BCEd curriculum is necessary in order to prepare students for an unknown world, and for jobs that haven’t been invented yet: “Kindergarten students today will graduate into a world that is vastly different from the one we know now. In order for them to be successful, we need to teach them to never stop learning, embrace technology, and develop skills that are valuable to every career — communication, collaboration and critical thinking." This seems to be the same, tired script that every politician, bureaucrat, education partner, school administrator and District Superintendent reads from. But what is interesting is that we now have the Minister himself pushing the very product that he’s in charge of selling.
It sounds a tad desperate.
Provincial exams are a thing of the past. They will be replaced by a literacy and numeracy assessment – more on that later. Grades are no longer mandatory until Grade 10. Our only standardized assessment that’s left, is receiving a massive overhaul which means it will no longer measure anything significant on how our education system is performing. And the Education Ministry is congratulating itself on “consulting” with all major stakeholders in defense of implementing these changes.
Here’s how the numeracy assessment will work. The assessment replaces the Provincial Gr.10 Math exam yet it does not count towards a student’s grade. It must be written by the time they graduate. They have three chances to write it. It will contain content learned in Grade 8-10, but students have the option to write it anytime between Gr.10-12. So this means students in Gr.12, can write the assessment up to 3 times, which is based on content for kids four years younger than them. The marking process is even better. In order to get a zero, it requires approval from the section head marker. And yet a student can get the top mark (4), without actually getting the correct answer.
In response, there is a group of dedicated and knowledgeable teachers speaking out against these changes which will, in their informed view, wreak havoc and chaos on students once they attempt to transition from high school, to post-secondary. They have penned a letter to a university admissions office and have distributed it provincewide, inviting other teachers to pledge their support if they wish. As for the response from the university? One thought was that a new entrance exam might be given as part of the admissions requirement because, in their words, exams are still the single best indicator of academic achievement for students…something our education leaders have now deemed irrelevant. In other words, all that the Ministry has done, is shift the burden of student accountability onto post-secondary institutions, driving up student anxiety, and dumbing down learning standards even further.
You can’t make this stuff up if you tried, but according to Minister Fleming, it’s a win-win situation for everyone: “We are working with our partners on a new graduation program that will give students the best possible chance for future success. We’re also taking a hard look at our provincial assessments to make sure they support the new curriculum, while maintaining high, measurable standards that show us how we’re doing and drive continuous improvement.”
But here’s the rub. Regular classroom teachers are unable to speak publicly about their concerns and when they do, they’re either ignored, or reprimanded. Why do those who see the devastating consequences of convoluted changes to education policy first hand, have to be silenced, or ignored, while gurus promoting edufads run amok, being wooed at District sponsored workshops and professional development sessions? With all this talk about promoting critical thinking, why aren’t our leaders doing exactly that? For someone who talks about inclusion and transparency, why is our Education Minister so averse to respond to those who have expressed their concerns? I’m still waiting to hear back from his office; perhaps he’s busy writing another editorial.
Parents, we need to hear from you. Your kids need you to fight for them. It’s not right that 30% of our kids are in tutoring centres by Grade 3…just so they can learn their times tables. Our publicly funded system needs to be held to account – I hope you’ll help us. And if you’re a teacher, wanting to show your support for this latest initiative, send me an email wisemathbc1@gmail.com Let’s stop this nonsense before it’s too late.

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